On average, fiberglass pools last for about 25 years, which is more than enough for most people. When maintained, they can last for even longer. The selling point however is the fact maintenance costs are much lower compared to concrete pools for example. But, none of this compromises the quality of fiberglass pools, making them the perfect choice for someone who wants to have this without breaking their economy completely. But, here’s the thing. DIY-ing this will not yield the best results, you can easily mess something up and then maintenance costs and longevity numbers plummet.
Possible benefits of DIY installment
It’s not like we view just one side of the story. We always want to cover both the benefits and the negatives. With DIY installments it’s pretty simple though when it comes to the perks. You get to save money, and that’s pretty much it. For some people that’s the main motivation to attempt doing this on their own, but when you weigh in the final result which by no means will look professionally-made with the few hundred dollars you saved, it’s just not worth it. At least, in our opinion.
1. You don’t have the skill to shape the concrete coping
Simply “placing” the pool in your backyard is not enough to complete this project. There’s a lot of work to be done on the edges, around the pool and in the actual technical aspect of it. It’s not easy, we don’t want to give you any false hope. It can be achieved, but we suggest against it unless you are someone with years of experience in this job.
When installing a fiberglass pool you need to use Styrofoam in few spots, but if you don’t install this properly, the weight of the concrete can collapse over the Styrofoam and your entire project sinks into the water, pun included. If your terrain is also tricky to work on due to the awkward shape, things will get only more difficult. If you’re interested in seeing how fiberglass pools are properly installed, compasspools.com.au is a website where you can learn more.
2. Not enough tools for the job
If you end up buying the tools for the job then it’s no longer a money-saving idea, isn’t it? These things can cost quite a lot, especially if you decide to purchase an entire kit, which you’ll probably need to finish things right while on this DIY Fiberglass Pool Installment.
Once again, this is highly individual and we cannot know for certain whether you’re someone with the right tools for the job or not, but taking an “average Joe” as an example, most people don’t have what it takes. It’s a larger and complicated project that requires skill, dedication, time and effort. Most people don’t even want to attempt doing something like this because they know how complicated the procedure is. Once again, no discouragement, just a reality check.
3. You can’t install a dewatering system
Without a dewatering system, if your fiberglass pool ever starts leaking or it needs to be emptied so water goes around it, huge amounts of water can really cause a lot of shenanigans in the soil. Unfortunately, an “average Joe” cannot install such a dewatering system, especially not on tricky terrain. This falls into the category of “hidden costs” or “hidden tasks” that people don’t really think about when considering such a fiberglass pool installation project.
There’s something called “The Hydrostatic Pressure” but we don’t want to get way too technical, simply because we’re not swimming pool professionals either. However, any useful source of information regarding such projects will tell you the same. Excess ground water can create hydrostatic pressure and it can damage your pool.
4. It is risky to attempt it on your own
Making any mistake in the process of building a fiberglass pool can be fatal for your economy later on, but for your backyard as well. In fact, they are the same thing. You’ll need a lot of money to fix things in your yard if the pool ends up breaking and water ends leaking out.
Then, you can risk someone being in the pool when the accident happens. Nothing serious can happen but if your children are in there they’ll get scared if the fiberglass cracks, a concrete block bursts or the landscape around the pool starts eroding, sliding or something similar. And, while we’re at landscape, let’s take a look at the final reason why you shouldn’t attempt doing this by yourself.
5. You won’t be able to modify the landscape
Do you know what people do when their landscape is too tricky for a regular fiberglass pool model? They order a custom one. But, that’s when professionals arrive with all sorts of landscaping tools, montage equipment, proper materials and years of experience under their belt. All of these things are something that we don’t have. That’s why it’s so difficult completing the task on our own.
How are you going to remove trees, rocks or anything else that’s an obstacle? You probably can, but it won’t be professional and it’s going to waste you a lot more time. It’s probably not worth it to spend all this time for a result that won’t be top-notch at the end.
Conclusion
Installing a fiberglass pool by yourself can be a pretty demanding task. Unless you have the right toolset for it, a lot of patience, and most importantly previous experience with something like this, you can do a lot of things wrong and end up with not-so-satisfying result.
We’re not trying to discourage anyone who wants to DIY project, but you have to view both the positive and the negative sides of doing so. In today’s article we covered five reasons why we personally feel that it’s better to hire a team of professionals for this task rather than attempting it on your own.
